Monday 30 March 1668

Up betimes, and so to the office, there to do business till about 10 o’clock, and then out with my wife and Deb. and W. Hewer by coach to Common-garden Coffee-house, where by appointment I was to meet Harris; which I did, and also Mr. Cooper, the great painter, and Mr. Hales: and thence presently to Mr. Cooper’s house, to see some of his work, which is all in little, but so excellent as, though I must confess I do think the colouring of the flesh to be a little forced, yet the painting is so extraordinary, as I do never expect to see the like again. Here I did see Mrs. Stewart’s picture as when a young maid, and now just done before her having the smallpox: and it would make a man weep to see what she was then, and what she is like to be, by people’s discourse, now. Here I saw my Lord Generall’s picture, and my Lord Arlington and Ashly’s, and several others; but among the rest one Swinfen, that was Secretary to my Lord Manchester, Lord Chamberlain, with Cooling, done so admirably as I never saw any thing: but the misery was, this fellow died in debt, and never paid Cooper for his picture; but, it being seized on by his creditors, among his other goods, after his death, Cooper himself says that he did buy it, and give 25l. out of his purse for it, for what he was to have had but 30l.. Being infinitely satisfied with this sight, and resolving that my wife shall be drawn by him when she comes out of the country, I away with Harris and Hales to the Coffee-house, sending my people away, and there resolve for Hales to begin Harris’s head for me, which I will be at the cost of. After a little talk, I away to White Hall and Westminster, where I find the Parliament still bogling about the raising of this money: and every body’s mouth full now; and Mr. Wren himself tells me that the Duke of York declares to go to sea himself this year; and I perceive it is only on this occasion of distaste of the Parliament against W. Pen’s going, and to prevent the Prince’s: but I think it is mighty hot counsel for the Duke of York at this time to go out of the way; but, Lord! what a pass are all our matters come to! At noon by appointment to Cursitor’s Alley, in Chancery Lane, to meet Captain Cocke and some other creditors of the Navy, and their Counsel, Pemberton, North, Offly, and Charles Porter; and there dined, and talked of the business of the assignments on the Exchequer of the 1,250,000l. on behalf of our creditors; and there I do perceive that the Counsel had heard of my performance in the Parliamenthouse lately, and did value me and what I said accordingly. At dinner we had a great deal of good discourse about Parliament: their number being uncertain, and always at the will of the King to encrease, as he saw reason to erect a new borough. But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the place they serve for. Thence, the meeting of the Counsel with the King’s Counsel this afternoon being put off by reason of the death of Serjeant Maynard’slady, I to White Hall, where the Parliament was to wait on the King; and they did: and it was to be told that he did think fit to tell them that they might expect to be adjourned at Whitsuntide, and that they might make haste to raise their money; but this, I fear, will displease them, who did expect to sit as long as they pleased, and whether this be done by the King upon some new counsel I know not, for the King must be beholding to them till they do settle this business of money. Great talk to-day as if Beaufort was come into the Channel with about 20 ships, and it makes people apprehensive, but yet the Parliament do not stir a bit faster in the business of money. Here I met with Creed, expecting a Committee of Tangier, but the Committee met not, so he and I up and down, having nothing to do, and particularly to the New Cockpit by the King’s Gate in Holborne, but seeing a great deal of rabble we did refuse to go in, but took coach and to Hide Park, and there till all the tour was empty, and so he and I to the Lodge in the Park, and there eat and drank till it was night, and then carried him to White Hall, having had abundance of excellent talk with him in reproach of the times and managements we live under, and so I home, and there to talk and to supper with my wife, and so to bed.

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Annotations

The persons concerned in the Petition which the writer put into the hands of the Earl of Ossory ... have communicated the purport of his Grace's letter, and - after some few meetings more - have agreed to waive their design of applying ... to Parliament.

... The Duke has many - though very much unmerited - enemies in this place. ... The writer wishes that his Grace's coming hither ... may not prove to his disadvantage. ...

PS: "The unadvised, though earnest, prosecution of the Lord Westmeath will do your Grace no harm." _____

Lords of the Council in England to Ormond

His Majesty, after fully hearing various parties concerned, is of opinion that an Order in Council of May 4, 1667 - in the matter of certain lands in Ireland formerly obtained or seized by Regicides, and lately granted, by way of reprisals, to H.R.H. the Duke of York - "is to have the effect of a judgment, sentence, or decree; and doth withal recommend it to his ... Commissioners [under the Act of Settlement, &c.] to take all care that his said R.H. be, without delay, satisfied" therein, accordingly. ..

" ... to Mr. Cooper’s house, to see some of his work, which is all in little, but so excellent as, though I must confess I do think the colouring of the flesh to be a little forced, yet the painting is so extraordinary, as I do never expect to see the like again. ..."

Spoiler The three above are a part of a group of five sheets acquired from Cooper's widow by Charles II; Cooper often did not finish the working sheets made in the life sessions only the actual miniatures delivered to the paying patron.

Cooper had a European wide reputation and Charles II sat for him within ten days of the Restoration -- it was during these sittings that John Aubrey re-introduced the King to his former tutor Thomas Hobbes. Cooper also made the drawing for Charles coinage (now Royal Library, Windsor Castle) and during those sittings it was Evelyn who held the candle to produce the strong shadows formed by raking side light that created the necessary strong reliefs of nose, eyebrows and eyelids in Charles profile.

"At dinner we had a great deal of good discourse about Parliament: their number being uncertain, and always at the will of the King to encrease, as he saw reason to erect a new borough. But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot...."

L&M note Pepys had first learned about such from William Prynne, MP for Bath, on 8 January. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1668/01/08/ and that Newark (in 1675) was the last borough to be chartered by royal prerogative.

"I to White Hall, where the Parliament was to wait on the King; and they did: and it was to be told that he did think fit to tell them that they might expect to be adjourned at Whitsuntide, and that they might make haste to raise their money"

The House attends the King.

THE House being met, Mr. Speaker and the Members in a Body went and attended his Majesty at Whitehall, according to his Majesty's Command for that Purpose. Being returned;

Mr. Speaker acquaints the House, that his Majesty expressed himself to this Effect; viz.

That the Season of the Year was far spent; and that it was high Time for the Setting out of a Fleet; and therefore conjured the House to finish his Supply; and to make Haste to dispatch the Businesses depending, in order to a Recess by Whitsuntide. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?co...

"Great talk to-day as if Beaufort was come into the Channel with about 20 ships"

L&M note Beaufort had led a French fleet out of Brest on the 18th, and was sighted off Ushant the night of 25-26. The Dukie of York on the King's orders this day instructed Allin to retreat to the Downs if outnumbered.

" ... to Mr. Cooper’s house, to see some of his work, which is all in little, but so excellent as, though I must confess I do think the colouring of the flesh to be a little forced, yet the painting is so extraordinary, as I do never expect to see the like again. ...."

Spoiler The 'warts and all' description derives from a remark Cromwell is said to have made when sitting for Peter Lely. It was published first by Horace Walpole in his 'Anecdotes of Painting in England' 1764 “Mr Lely, I desire you would use all your skill to paint your picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughness, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me. Otherwise, I will never pay a farthing for it.”

"I think it is mighty hot counsel for the Duke of York at this time to go out of the way; but, Lord! what a pass are all our matters come to!"

Miscarriages of the War.

Sir Robert Brookes reports from the Committee to inquire into the Miscarriages of the late War, that it was the Opinion of the Committee, that the House would appoint some of their Members to attend upon his Royal Highness the Duke of Yorke; and to desire him to renew his Commands to Sir John Harman to hasten home: And also, to appoint some of their Members to attend the Commissioners of Accounts; and inquire what Progress they have made in the Discovery of the Imbezlement of the East India and other Prize Goods; and to desire them to transmit Copies of their Proceeding therein to the House.

O to have the portrait of a celebrity in one's office with his dedicatory autograph and wave at it casually to a visitor who recognizes the image, "Yes, that's my pal Hank Harris. It's a unique portrait, just a little token for old times' sake."

Thank you to MR for posting all the Cooper links - they are magnificent character portraits. I was particularly taken with the 2nd of the Frances Stuart ones - one can see why Charles was so mad for her. What a sly look! She reminds me of the actress Cheryl Campbell when younger. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/35276078@N06/52775...

"But all concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the place they serve for. "

The medieval custom whereby constituencies paid wages to their M.P.'s [held the purse strings] -- usually 2s. a day in the case of boroughs and 4s. in the case of counties -- had been greatly weakened from the 16th century onwards by competition by parliamentary candidates and by the tenure of borough seats by 'strangers' [those not owning property in the borough]. Almost all members now served without wage, and under the terms of a bargain by which they promised not to claim any. A few of the larger cities (London among them) continued to pay wages, though not regularly: the last-known case being that of Bristol in 1696. (Per L&M footnote)